Lzh Mu Bi Vb Pc 103Outside Their Own Country

Tiroraṭṭha Sutta (Outside One’s Own Country)

Background

The Tiroraṭṭha text belongs to the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Early Buddhist tradition and is recorded in the Pācittiya section, the offenses requiring confession. It is part of the Pātimokkha, the basic code for monks and nuns in the early Buddhist community.

This text concerns geography and the jurisdictional authority of the Saṅgha. In the early days of the Buddha-Dharma, the fact that monks and nuns operated outside the territory of their own country or the region in which they had been authorized to practice created challenges for collective discipline. This context arose from practical situations in which monasteries needed to manage members acting in distant places, where oversight by the local practicing community became difficult or ineffective.

Main Content

Pācittiya 103 (Tiroraṭṭha) deals with the matter of bhikkhunīs or bhikkhus staying outside their own country or territory for a long time without proper approval or reporting to the Saṅgha. According to the rule, one gone forth should not arbitrarily extend residence in a locality outside the country or region of the monastery without informing the collective Saṅgha.

A Pācittiya offense is considered lighter than Saṅghādisesa or Pārājika offenses, but it still requires confession before the Saṅgha and the performance of confession rites (paṭidesanā). The important point of this rule is not to prohibit the ordained from residing outside their country, but to emphasize the importance of transparency, reporting, and approval from the practicing community.

This text reflects the need of the early Buddhist community to maintain organization, collective responsibility, and the prevention of conduct that could harm the honor or trust of the Saṅgha in society.

Practical Meaning

The deep meaning of Pācittiya 103 does not lie in restricting freedom of movement, but in training honesty, discipline, and connection with the community of practice.